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Broncos' Elway expects Manning back in 2014

By Lindsay H. Jones, USA TODAY Sports
9:43 a.m. EST January 17, 2014

Executive vice president of football operations John Elway, right, talks with Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning (18) during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game against the Oakland Raiders, Sept. 30, 2012, in Denver.(Photo: David Zalubowski/AP)

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — As a quarterback, John Elway enjoyed nothing more than the NFL playoffs.

But now that he's running the Denver Broncos, postseason has become a miserable experience.

"It took me four hours to get the pit out of my stomach after the game last week," Elway said Thursday morning in a roundtable discussion with a small group of reporters. "As a player, it was so exciting to be in these situations because this was what you worked for, so it's not nearly as much fun upstairs as it was down on the field."

But now Elway hopes his own personal misery will be extended for a few more weeks.

The Broncos were the only NFL team Elway ever played for, and he has run them as executive vice president of football operations for the past three years. Denver hosts the New England Patriots in Sunday's AFC Championship Game, and the franchise hopes to reach its first Super Bowl since Elway led the team to back-to-back titles in 1997 and 1998. He retired following the second championship.

"I talked to them at training camp and I said, 'If you're world champions, every bit of work you put it to it is worth it,'" Elway said. "I know how hard this team has worked, how hard these coaches have worked, and I hope it pans out for them and they get that feeling because it is something that is not comparable to anything else."

Elway was 38 when he won that second title, a year older than current Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning. Elway said he will sit down with Manning once this season is over to see how the record-setting passer feels about his career and future, but doesn't seem to be expecting anything other than Manning being the Broncos quarterback in 2014, regardless of what happens on Sunday or later in the postseason.

"I still think he's young and playing well," Elway said. "Having been a football player before, when you leave this game, you want to leave it on your last leg (and) try not to leave anything on the table. And so anybody that's a competitor — that's the way they want to leave the game. I was just fortunate to be on two great football teams and be able to win two world championships when my last leg broke."

Manning has been more circumspect when discussing his future beyond the postseason.

"When you go through a significant injury and a major career change, you truly do go one year at a time and you don't look past what's going on now because you are not sure what's going to happen," Manning said Thursday. "Tomorrow is not promised. I think it's a healthy approach for an older player to go all in for 2013 regular season, 2014 postseason.

"For a young player, sure, it can be easy to look ahead to maybe that new contract that they want to get or some career goal that they're trying to achieve. But at this point in my career, it's easy just to focus in on what's going on right now. It's been a healthy approach and attitude for me and it keeps you honed in on the moment."

The difference for Elway then and Manning now is that Elway knew his body couldn't take the punishment of another season. But Elway has seen plenty of joy from Manning this season, his second with the Broncos. Manning is expected to win his fifth MVP award after setting single-season records for touchdown passes (55) and passing yards (5,477) while leading the Broncos to the AFC West crown and No. 1 seed in the conference. Manning's only health issue this year was a sprained ankle that lingered throughout much of the middle of the season. He missed some practices but was never out of the lineup.

But just as Elway was criticized for much of his career after getting blown out during his first three Super Bowl trips, Manning is often defined by his postseason record. He is 10-11 in playoff games, including 1-1 in Super Bowls.

"Whether it's fair or not, that's the way it is. That's the way it's always going to be," Elway said. "Head coaches and quarterbacks are tied together in the fact that statistics are nice, but the great ones are the ones that have won world championships. And they don't do it by themselves. They're also on good football teams with good head coaches."

Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning speaks during a news conference after NFL football practice in Englewood, Colo., on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2014. The Broncos are scheduled to host the New England Patriots on Sunday for the AFC championship.(Photo: Ed Andrieski AP)

Perhaps that's why Elway said Thursday he feels good about the Broncos' chances. He's thrilled with the job John Fox has done as head coach, especially after undergoing heart surgery in November, and credits Fox with "fixing" a locker room that was in disarray after former head coach (and current New England offensive coordinator) Josh McDaniels was fired in 2010. Elway is equally happy with both of Fox's coordinators, especially first-year offensive coordinator Adam Gase.

"I wish I could've played for him, yeah. He's so bright," Elway said.

Gase has drawn interest as a head coaching candidate but declined to interview for any jobs until after the Broncos' season is over. The Minnesota Vikings, who requested permission to speak with Gase, have already filled their vacancy, though Gase remains a target of the Cleveland Browns, the only team yet to fill its coaching vacancy.

Elway called Gase's decision not to interview immediately "studly" and said he hoped Gase would wind up staying with the Broncos.

"I like guys that are committed to what they're doing, committed to the Denver Broncos," Elway said. "So I couldn't be more proud of that decision. It tells you a lot about that guy."

Elway, much like Manning has done frequently this year, praised Gase's aggressiveness as a play-caller. He singled out the third-and-17 pass play to tight end Julius Thomas that helped clinch the divisional round win against the San Diego Chargers as the type of play that can define a playoff run.

As Elway takes his seat in a box high above Sports Authority Field at Mile High on Sunday, those will be the type of clutch plays he's hoping to see, even as he's agonizing over every Manning throw or Knowshon Moreno run.

"Championships aren't given to you," Elway said, "you've got to go win it. And that's on both sides of the ball."